Ecuador is to hold a national referendum on whether the country should have a constitutional assembly (CA) to carry out far-reaching economic and social reforms. The decision was passed 57 to 1 with 42 MPs not voting. Right-wing MPs absented themselves in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the vote. With this vote Ecuador has joined with Bolivia and Venezuela in going down the road of challenging the rich bosses and their backers in Washington. Read more...

On Friday 21 January thousands of indigenous Indians stormed Ecuador’s parliament building in the capital Quito.

A state of emergency was announced on 5 January to try to forestall planned strikes and demonstrations. But the mass of protesters ignored the government’s decree. Sweeping aside the troops guarding the building they occupied the parliamentary chamber and demanded the resignation of the country’s President, Jamil Mahuad. Read more...